Veterans on the bubble
The Vikings have talked about the importance of cutting good players, and they are well on their way to doing that.
One of the key positions that other teams are monitoring here in Minnesota is on the offensive line. That's because of the incredible depth the Vikings boast at that position. Outside of the starters, five backups have a combined 193 NFL starts, led by veteran guard Chris Liwienski (74) and Mike Rosenthal (55).
Given that quality depth, the Vikings must now figure out how many offensive linemen to keep. Last year, on the opening day roster, they had eight offensive linemen. They are probably inclined to keep at least nine this year, with the presence of second-round pick Ryan Cook.
He seems more potential than NFL-game-ready now, which means the Vikings would be better served keeping at least one extra veteran. After the starters, backup center Jason Whittle would appear the only other veteran guaranteed to make the roster. That leaves quality players such as Rosenthal, Liwienski, Anthony Herrera and Adam Goldberg fighting for one or two spots.
Surely, Vikings coach Brad Childress is thrilled to have this problem. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings try to deal one of those veterans before the final cutdown deadline on Saturday. While they won't get much, the Vikings could fetch a solid second-day draft pick if they can muster a competition for a player.
I guarantee you that Steve Loney and Dennis Green are keeping close tabs on what the Vikings do at this position, especially since they need some help on the offensive line.
During his press conference, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell talked about the job that Rosenthal, Liwienski and Goldberg are doing as backups.
"I appreciate those guys. They've done a nice job," Bevell said. "They're veterans so they're competing for their spot, trying to compete for a spot on the team. They're not griping and complaining or causing any problems because they're not in the starting rotation. They're taking their reps. They're making the most of their reps. They're throwing it out there and hoping that it's good enough."
One of the key positions that other teams are monitoring here in Minnesota is on the offensive line. That's because of the incredible depth the Vikings boast at that position. Outside of the starters, five backups have a combined 193 NFL starts, led by veteran guard Chris Liwienski (74) and Mike Rosenthal (55).
Given that quality depth, the Vikings must now figure out how many offensive linemen to keep. Last year, on the opening day roster, they had eight offensive linemen. They are probably inclined to keep at least nine this year, with the presence of second-round pick Ryan Cook.
He seems more potential than NFL-game-ready now, which means the Vikings would be better served keeping at least one extra veteran. After the starters, backup center Jason Whittle would appear the only other veteran guaranteed to make the roster. That leaves quality players such as Rosenthal, Liwienski, Anthony Herrera and Adam Goldberg fighting for one or two spots.
Surely, Vikings coach Brad Childress is thrilled to have this problem. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings try to deal one of those veterans before the final cutdown deadline on Saturday. While they won't get much, the Vikings could fetch a solid second-day draft pick if they can muster a competition for a player.
I guarantee you that Steve Loney and Dennis Green are keeping close tabs on what the Vikings do at this position, especially since they need some help on the offensive line.
During his press conference, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell talked about the job that Rosenthal, Liwienski and Goldberg are doing as backups.
"I appreciate those guys. They've done a nice job," Bevell said. "They're veterans so they're competing for their spot, trying to compete for a spot on the team. They're not griping and complaining or causing any problems because they're not in the starting rotation. They're taking their reps. They're making the most of their reps. They're throwing it out there and hoping that it's good enough."
posted by Unknown at 3:24 PM
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